(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a transparent electrode using a print-based metal wire, which enables the mass production of the transparent electrode at low cost, and a transparent electrode manufactured thereby.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, a transparent electrode is a functional thin film electrode that allows light in a visible light region to pass through and has given electrical conductivity. For example, transparent electrodes are used in flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), organic light emitting displays (OLEDs), and field emission displays (FEDs), touch panels, transparent electromagnetic wave shielding films, transparent electrostatic protective films, planar antennas for communication devices, heat reflective coatings, and solar cells.
The transparent electrodes has two properties: high electrical conductivity with a specific resistance of less than 1×10−3 Ω/sq and a surface resistance of less than 103 Ω/sq; and a transmittance of more than 80% in a visible light region of 380 to 780 nm. Accordingly, conductive material used for the transparent electrodes include metals, metal oxides, conductive polymers, carbon materials and the like.
Indium tin oxide (ITO), an example of metal oxide conductive material, is widely used because of high transmittance and low electrical resistance. However, indium which is a main material of ITO is very expensive and requires expensive vacuum deposition equipment in the manufacturing process of an ITO thin film the main raw material of ITO is indium, which is expensive.
Moreover, a transparent electrode formed by coating ITO on a plastic film is easily shattered even under a small external impact or stress, shows low mechanical stability when the plastic film is bent or folded, and undergoes changes in electrical characteristics due to thermal deformation caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient with the film.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.